The family of actress Carla Jeffery, the bubbly cheerleader Bree in Disney Channel’s “Zombies” movies, is knocking down unfounded online chatter linking drugs to her death, saying plainly that she was not a drug user. Jeffery died September 1, 2026, at her California home. She was 33.
Her death took place at that residence in California, a spokesperson for the family told TMZ, adding that loved ones plan to hold off on saying anything more about the circumstances until autopsy results arrive. No news organization has reported the rumors circulating on social media, and nothing in any official finding backs them up. Relatives also said foul play was not a factor and that no police investigation is underway.
The case remains pending with the coroner, which has determined no preliminary cause or manner of death. Accuracy is the reason the family is guarding what it releases, relatives said, and they asked for solitude while they grieve and wait for findings.
Jeffery had previously spoken about living with epilepsy, according to the Cameron Boyce Foundation. Whether the condition had any connection to her death is unclear, and an official cause of death has not been released.
Her relatives have launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover her funeral and burial costs, and the family is asking for public support following her death. A statement on the fundraiser page, posted by a relative named as Carl Jeffery, said: “I am creating this fundraiser for my close family member, Carla Jeffery, as we face the heartbreaking loss of a loved one.” The campaign had brought in almost $5,000 by Friday, September 4.
Manager Shared the News on Instagram
The death became public on the night of September 2, through a post on Jeffery’s Instagram account written by her manager of many years, Carla Alexander of Alexanders Talent Management. Jeffery joined the agency when she was 12 and stayed for more than 20 years, Alexander said, growing from a child performer into an actress with a smile capable of lighting up any room. “Carla was more than a client; she was family,” Alexander wrote.
The agency gave no cause of death. It asked that the privacy of those close to Jeffery be respected, and it ended its tribute by urging the actress to rest beautifully. Everyone she worked with was left with a lasting impression of her talent, warmth and spirit, Disney Entertainment Television said in a statement of its own, crediting her with a rare gift for connecting with audiences and saying her generosity and sense of humor would be remembered. Condolences went from the company to her relatives, her fellow cast members and the fans of her work.
Co-Stars and Her Twin Brother Pay Tribute
Posts from her “Zombies” castmates went up within hours. The news felt unreal, said Chandler Kinney, who portrayed Willa, and she called Jeffery the kindest person she had ever met. “You made every day better and brighter with your infectious positivity,” Kinney wrote, adding that the warmth Jeffery gave Bree reflected who she was away from the camera.
Milo Manheim, who played her on-screen counterpart Zed, put photos and videos on his Instagram Story, describing her as the sweetest, kindest and most loving person. Bucky Buchanan’s portrayer, Trevor Tordjman, called her one of a kind and said he would never forget her energy.
Her twin brother, actor Carlon Jeffery, a former star of Disney Channel’s “A.N.T. Farm,” posted the agency’s statement a second time, and alongside it he put beach footage of his sister plus a screengrab of a text he had sent her on a date he did not specify. He told her in that message that her resilience and grace made him proud, urged her to let no one dim her light, and said he had her back in this life and the next.
From Larry David’s HBO Set to Seabrook High
Jeffery was born in Houston, Texas, on July 10, 1993. Her first screen work came in the 2006 comedy “Phat Girlz,” where Mo’Nique played the adult Jazmin and Jeffery played the same character as a 10-year-old. HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” also brought her a recurring stint that year, as Keysha Black. That role ran across 10 episodes of the sixth and seventh seasons between 2006 and 2008, and the Blacks — a family left without a home by Hurricane Katrina — moved in with series star Larry David, Keysha among them. Leon, played by JB Smoove, and Loretta, played by Vivica A. Fox, rounded out the household.
Steady television work followed. She guest starred on Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” in 2008, Disney Channel’s “Good Luck Charlie” in 2011 and “Shake It Up” in 2012, and she played Janila on NBC’s police drama “Southland.” Among her other credits were “Scream Queens,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Uncle Buck,” “American Vandal,” “Suburgatory,” “Torchwood,” “Men of a Certain Age,” “Best Friends Whenever,” “Lie to Me” and “Miss Guided.” In film, she appeared in “Teacher of the Year” in 2014, “Girl on the Edge” in 2015 and “Exchange” in 2016, and she voiced a character in a 2020 episode of Disney XD’s “Spider-Man.”
The Role That Made Her a Star
The breakthrough arrived in 2018 with the Disney Channel musical “Zombies,” in which she played Bree, a Seabrook High School student vying for a spot on the cheerleading team who strikes up a friendship with Addison, played by Meg Donnelly. She returned to the part in the sequels released in 2020 and 2022 and voiced the character again in the 2024 animated offshoot “Zombies: The Re-Animated Series.” She also turned up in cast music videos for songs including “Flesh & Bone” and “Fired Up,” and appeared in Donnelly’s video for “Impress.”
Jeffery remained close to the franchise that introduced her to a young global audience. On July 8, 2025, she walked the carpet at the world premiere of “Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires” at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.
Anything more will wait until the autopsy is complete, her relatives say, and they have again asked that their privacy be respected until then.